Charley Walters: Twins' Pohlad sees reason for optimism

Minnesota base runner Kurt Suzuki scores on a Aaron Hicks double as Oakland catcher Derek Norris waits for the throw in the second inning of Monday's Home Opener at Target Field in Minneapolis, April 7, 2014. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

The Minnesota Twins have lost at least 96 games each of the past three seasons. On Monday, before the Twins lost their Target Field opener 8-3 to Oakland, club owner Jim Pohlad was asked if he could tolerate another 90-loss season.

The Twins are off to a 3-4 start. Pohlad was asked if he could see a fourth straight 90-loss season.

"We didn't see it happening in 2011, '12 and '13," he said. "But it happened. You don't like it, for sure. If there was any switch that any of us could flip to make that not happen, we'd flip that switch in a second."

Pohlad said there are reasons to be "way more optimistic" about this season.

"You look at Trevor (Plouffe, hitting .370); it takes a while," he said. "Look at (Clayton) Kershaw of the Dodgers -- he came into the system '06. It just takes awhile for players to develop."

Pohlad was asked if the Twins can win the division this season.

"The division is tough -- Detroit's a very formidable competitor throughout MLB," he said. "Everything's maturing at the right time, and (Tigers GM) Dave Dombroski has done a great job of going out and, you know, getting rid of a Prince Fielder, but bringing somebody else in. He's a smart guy."

Twins' minor leaguers Bryon Buxton and Miguel Sano are among baseball's elite prospects. Could they mature the way some of Detroit's prospects have? Pohlad was candid.

"Yes, yes, but I mean, we've been at this (ownership) for 30 years now, and you've heard about prospects for 30 years," Pohlad said. (Late Twins VP) Howard Fox used to talk about all the people coming up. Some of them just don't pan out.

"But the reports continue to be positive."

Most baseball people figure it will be 2016 before the Twins can become division contenders again.

"If you asked me right now would you have two more horrible years, '14 and '15 if you could be a contender in '16, I don't think I would say yes to that, because I don't want the two horrible years," Pohlad said.

The Twins had horrible years in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

"That would be five horrible years," Pohlad said. "You do your brand a lot of damage when that happens. We know that."

Pohlad knows the Twins' brand has been damaged by the previous three seasons.

"There's no question that happens," he said. "I mean, our head isn't buried in the sand in that regard. And (GM Terry Ryan), baseball people know that, too, that it hurts. It hurts everybody. It hurts the organization. It hurts the city. It's not good.

"You just keep trying. You don't give up. And you don't accept it."

Pohlad would have liked the Twins to add more offense during the offseason.

"I think everybody would have wanted to make an offensive addition, but there's two sides to the spectrum: don't spend any money, and spend with reckless abandon. And we're going to be in that middle," he said.

"You're seeing there are fewer and fewer free agents, period, because of the contract extensions."

The Twins' model remains to develop players rather than buy them.

"But all 30 teams are thinking that same thing right now," he said. "They're paying a lot of attention to their farm systems, too."

Pohlad said the Twins didn't put a limit on this season's payroll, which is about $76 million, ranking No. 21 in the major leagues.

"We never even got to the point of discussing a limit," he said of this year's budget.

What would have been the limit?

Pohlad laughed.

"Three-hundred million," he said.

Seriously, Pohlad said he wasn't going to give Ryan a number and tell him to go spend it.

"Because Terry's not that kind of guy," Pohlad said.

Pohlad said he never turned down a request for Ryan to spend money.

"Absolutely not," he said. "We encouraged him, yes, but we did not tell him to spend more money. We encouraged him to do whatever he felt he needed to do. But we did not say, 'go spend money.' "

Pohlad said Ryan could have spent more money on players had he wanted.

A lot more?

"A lot is a relative term," Pohlad said. "Terry's a bright guy, but he's not a free spender. We know that. I'm not sure anybody on any of the team really is. We're fine with that because we trust Terry."

DON'T PRINT THAT

The Twins and Cincinnati Reds tie for 19th among major league baseball's 30 teams in terms of fan popularity, according to Google Trends based on searches worldwide since 2004 and researched by fivethirtyeight.com. The Yankees are No. 1, the Red Sox No. 2.

As for the NBA, the Lakers are No. 1, the Heat No. 2. The Timberwolves are 22nd among the league's 30 teams.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan, still receiving treatment for neck cancer, attended Monday's opener. He has three more weeks of radiation.

The Twins weren't as concerned about a non-sellout (35,837) for Monday's opener against Oakland as what attendance they'll have for Wednesday afternoon's game against the A's at Target Field. The team is hoping for a 25,000 gate.

Look for Billy Robertson, the popular former Wild VP, to be named commissioner of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association on Tuesday.

OVERHEARD

Twins President Dave St. Peter, on choosing Minneapolis-based actor Barkhad Abdi, who was nominated for an Oscar for "Captain Phillips," to make the ceremonial first pitch for Monday's opener against Oakland: "His story is a great story, and I thought it was a wonderful suggestion that came from a member of our staff."